A general, how I would build a team

Before anyone jumps off of a bridge, this has nothing to do with any team. It is a general set of thoughts. What would I do in terms of team make up and roster control/spending if I was running a NHL team. Keeping some things in mind: 23 man roster and a 70 million $ cap, here we go.

1. Player experience/roster management. Ok we have a 23 man roster. It is impossible to have all 23 players between 27 and 32, which is the prime of most players careers. Not to mention the cost of having a team like that. My ideal roster would have 2 rookies, 2 second year, 2 third year, 2 fourth year, 2 5th, 2 6th, 2 7th, 2 8th, 2 9th, 2 10th, 2 11th, and 1 guy with 12 or more. By doing this you are keeping young and cheap plays coming in and managing the costs. If the average rookie is 22 when he makes the roster, this still keeps the majority of the players between 26 and 32. The prime playing years. Some of course come earlier and some later.

2. managing the cap. If you divide 70 million by 23, you spend 3 million per player. if you actual payroll looked like that you would have a pretty poor team. Also most rookies and young players don't make nor do they need to make 3 million per year. So where and how much do i spend? The backup goalie, 7th Dman, and the 13th and 14th forwards are all at 1 million or less. That is 4 guys of the 23. leaving 66 million to spend on 19 players. The starting goalie is in a 5 million per slot. The 1-6 Dman make the oppisite amount. IE the 1 makes 6, the 2 makes 5, the 3 makes 4, the 4 makes 3, the 5 makes 2 and the 6 makes 1. At this point I have allocated 30 million of the 70 and covered 11 players. Leaving 40 million for the remaining 12 forwards. The 4th line guys make 2 million each. This leaves 9 players and 34 million left to spend. The 6 remaining RW and LW each get paid 3 million. This leaves 3 players and 16 million to spend. The 1 and 2 C get 6 million each, and the 3rd C makes 4 million. That allocates all 70 million allowed for the cap.

3. Now i have never been inside of RW HQ. But I am sure they have a plan along these lines somewhere. Every company does. You have to know where the money is going etc..... Now some may want to spend more accross the board on the top line. So be it, everyone has their own opinions. But in the end, you still have to have 23 players and can only spend 70.

later I will take these thoughts and tie these with the wings and their roster. I am sure that will be fun! LOL!

That's far too mechanical. Team building has to be organic. Find your strengths and develop around that, from whatever resources are available at the time.

Even starting from a blank slate, there's only going to be so many options. If you're trying to conform to some rigid price and experience structure, you're limiting your options too far. Your approach would only work in a hypothetical world where a good option that fit your model was always available.

A general outline is fine, provided you're willing to be flexible when appropriate. Yours just goes way too far.

A young skill-player or two
A young grinder or two
A young defenseman or two
A handful of seasoned veterans

All the above on cheap contracts, allowing exceptions for exceptional players.

The rest of the roster in their 'prime' give or take a year or two. As many as possible below market value, limited long-term deals.

Strong two-way centers, at least 3, but 4-5 if possible (as long as said players can adjust to the wing), a few snipers, a few playmakers. As many versatile players as possible. Lots of speed. A few high-energy guys, very good on defense, and physical. One of them a center with very good faceoff skills. 3-4 defenseman who can score but aren't liabilities on defense. A couple physical stay-at-home guys. A good goalie.

Age/experience/cap hits to be determined by availablility, priority of need, and future options.

...THAT's how you structure a 70 million dollar salary cap in today's NHL. There are 11 players that you give about 5mil to (and three of them you could give 6mil to) - your top six forwards, your top four defensemen and your goalie. I don't care if you draft and develop them, if you trade for them, or if you sign them. You get them. That's where you need your elite talent.

...As for the rest of the guys, your bottom six forwards, your bottom pairing defenseman, your backup goalie, and your healthy scratches. None of these guys should be making more than 1mil a season. Most of them should be cheap, young, big, strong, fast, tough, hard-working ready-to-play draft picks that you make. They don't need to be able to score. They just need to be those things. And you can find those things anywhere in the draft if you're looking for them. If one of the guy's blows up and is in line for a big contract...you let him walk...and you call up the next guy.

Before anyone jumps off of a bridge, this has nothing to do with any team. It is a general set of thoughts. What would I do in terms of team make up and roster control/spending if I was running a NHL team. Keeping some things in mind: 23 man roster and a 70 million $ cap, here we go.

1. Player experience/roster management. Ok we have a 23 man roster. It is impossible to have all 23 players between 27 and 32, which is the prime of most players careers. Not to mention the cost of having a team like that. My ideal roster would have 2 rookies, 2 second year, 2 third year, 2 fourth year, 2 5th, 2 6th, 2 7th, 2 8th, 2 9th, 2 10th, 2 11th, and 1 guy with 12 or more. By doing this you are keeping young and cheap plays coming in and managing the costs. If the average rookie is 22 when he makes the roster, this still keeps the majority of the players between 26 and 32. The prime playing years. Some of course come earlier and some later.

2. managing the cap. If you divide 70 million by 23, you spend 3 million per player. if you actual payroll looked like that you would have a pretty poor team. Also most rookies and young players don't make nor do they need to make 3 million per year. So where and how much do i spend? The backup goalie, 7th Dman, and the 13th and 14th forwards are all at 1 million or less. That is 4 guys of the 23. leaving 66 million to spend on 19 players. The starting goalie is in a 5 million per slot. The 1-6 Dman make the oppisite amount. IE the 1 makes 6, the 2 makes 5, the 3 makes 4, the 4 makes 3, the 5 makes 2 and the 6 makes 1. At this point I have allocated 30 million of the 70 and covered 11 players. Leaving 40 million for the remaining 12 forwards. The 4th line guys make 2 million each. This leaves 9 players and 34 million left to spend. The 6 remaining RW and LW each get paid 3 million. This leaves 3 players and 16 million to spend. The 1 and 2 C get 6 million each, and the 3rd C makes 4 million. That allocates all 70 million allowed for the cap.

3. Now i have never been inside of RW HQ. But I am sure they have a plan along these lines somewhere. Every company does. You have to know where the money is going etc..... Now some may want to spend more accross the board on the top line. So be it, everyone has their own opinions. But in the end, you still have to have 23 players and can only spend 70.

later I will take these thoughts and tie these with the wings and their roster. I am sure that will be fun! LOL!

4. Of course as time moves forward the cap will increase. As the cap goes from 70-72 million I would add that money to the 3rd center. that spot is now budgeted for 6 million. later as the cap adds the next 6 million, I would increase the budgeted amounts for the top 6 RW/LW. each of those 6 positions now make 4 million. After that, all additional cap increases would get divided equally amoung the top 3 C, top 2 D, and the starting goalie.

How do you build a successful NHL team you ask? It's simple. I don't get why people think Ken Holland's so smart??

Forwards:

6mil-6mil-5mil5mil-6mil-5mil1mil-1mil-1mil1mil-1mil-1mil1mil, 1mil

Defensemen:

5mil-5mil5mil-5mil1mil-1mil1mil

Goalies:

5mil1mil

...THAT's how you structure a 70 million dollar salary cap in today's NHL. There are 11 players that you give about 5mil to (and three of them you could give 6mil to) - your top six forwards, your top four defensemen and your goalie. I don't care if you draft and develop them, if you trade for them, or if you sign them. You get them. That's where you need your elite talent.

...As for the rest of the guys, your bottom six forwards, your bottom pairing defenseman, your backup goalie, and your healthy scratches. None of these guys should be making more than 1mil a season. Most of them should be cheap, young, big, strong, fast, tough, hard-working ready-to-play draft picks that you make. They don't need to be able to score. They just need to be those things. And you can find those things anywhere in the draft if you're looking for them. If one of the guy's blows up and is in line for a big contract...you let him walk...and you call up the next guy.

Simple as that.

This represents either some brilliant parody or a shocking lack of understanding.

How do you build a successful NHL team you ask? It's simple. I don't get why people think Ken Holland's so smart??

Forwards:

6mil-6mil-5mil5mil-6mil-5mil1mil-1mil-1mil1mil-1mil-1mil1mil, 1mil

Defensemen:

5mil-5mil5mil-5mil1mil-1mil1mil

Goalies:

5mil1mil

...THAT's how you structure a 70 million dollar salary cap in today's NHL. There are 11 players that you give about 5mil to (and three of them you could give 6mil to) - your top six forwards, your top four defensemen and your goalie. I don't care if you draft and develop them, if you trade for them, or if you sign them. You get them. That's where you need your elite talent.

...As for the rest of the guys, your bottom six forwards, your bottom pairing defenseman, your backup goalie, and your healthy scratches. None of these guys should be making more than 1mil a season. Most of them should be cheap, young, big, strong, fast, tough, hard-working ready-to-play draft picks that you make. They don't need to be able to score. They just need to be those things. And you can find those things anywhere in the draft if you're looking for them. If one of the guy's blows up and is in line for a big contract...you let him walk...and you call up the next guy.

Simple as that.

What you are talking about is completely impossible. For example. Our #5 D is either ericsson or Quincy. Both are over 3 million per season. Your buddy Stoll is in the 2.5+ range as a 3rd or 4th liner. The cold hard trueth is, guys in the league for more than 3 years will make 2+ million as bench players.

How do you build a successful NHL team you ask? It's simple. I don't get why people think Ken Holland's so smart??

Forwards:

6mil-6mil-5mil5mil-6mil-5mil1mil-1mil-1mil1mil-1mil-1mil1mil, 1mil

Defensemen:

5mil-5mil5mil-5mil1mil-1mil1mil

Goalies:

5mil1mil

...THAT's how you structure a 70 million dollar salary cap in today's NHL. There are 11 players that you give about 5mil to (and three of them you could give 6mil to) - your top six forwards, your top four defensemen and your goalie. I don't care if you draft and develop them, if you trade for them, or if you sign them. You get them. That's where you need your elite talent.

...As for the rest of the guys, your bottom six forwards, your bottom pairing defenseman, your backup goalie, and your healthy scratches. None of these guys should be making more than 1mil a season. Most of them should be cheap, young, big, strong, fast, tough, hard-working ready-to-play draft picks that you make. They don't need to be able to score. They just need to be those things. And you can find those things anywhere in the draft if you're looking for them. If one of the guy's blows up and is in line for a big contract...you let him walk...and you call up the next guy.

4. Of course as time moves forward the cap will increase. As the cap goes from 70-72 million I would add that money to the 3rd center. that spot is now budgeted for 6 million. later as the cap adds the next 6 million, I would increase the budgeted amounts for the top 6 RW/LW. each of those 6 positions now make 4 million. After that, all additional cap increases would get divided equally amoung the top 3 C, top 2 D, and the starting goalie.

5. I posted this on another thread as well, but needs to be repeated here. In general, men reach their physical peaks around 27. if you go look at players in every sport, they generally have their best years from age 27-32. yes you can have some freaks come along, but those are rare. Ideally, 1/3 to 1/2 of the team would be in this age group. it is hard to get to 1/2 now with the cap, because guys this age in their primes, get paid premium dollars. But a team should have 10+ guys between 27 and 32. With the balance split equally between those younger and older than this group. In a perfect world, you have 11 guys between 27-32, 6 guys 26 and younger, and 6 guys 33 and older. if things are really going well, your top 3 forwards, top 2 dmen, and starting goalie are in the group 27-32.

5. I posted this on another thread as well, but needs to be repeated here. In general, men reach their physical peaks around 27. if you go look at players in every sport, they generally have their best years from age 27-32. yes you can have some freaks come along, but those are rare. Ideally, 1/3 to 1/2 of the team would be in this age group. it is hard to get to 1/2 now with the cap, because guys this age in their primes, get paid premium dollars. But a team should have 10+ guys between 27 and 32. With the balance split equally between those younger and older than this group. In a perfect world, you have 11 guys between 27-32, 6 guys 26 and younger, and 6 guys 33 and older. if things are really going well, your top 3 forwards, top 2 dmen, and starting goalie are in the group 27-32.